Murroe WebsiteThe Annual Christmas Carol Service will take place in Abington Church
on Monday 18th December 2017 at 8.00PM
All are Welcome
Annual Christmas Carol Service in Abington Church
Murroe/Boher Newsletter 17 Dec 2017
Parish Clergy: Fr Loughlin Brennan Fr. Tom Ryan
Tel. 386227 Mobile 087 9814051 Tel. 352223 Mobile 087 6291557
Recent Deaths: Jim Collins, Murroe Village
Anniversaries: Murroe
Willie Hartnett and Deceased members of the Hartnett Family and
Margaret (Peggy) Fitzgerald 7pm this Saturday
Willie Quigley and John Connell 9am this Sunday
Martin and Bridgine Carey and
Christine Coughlan (nee Carey) 11.30am this Sunday
Johnny O’Brien Months Mind and
Catherine Danaher Months Mind 7pm next Saturday
Davy Hayes 8.30pm Christmas Eve
Paddy, Mary and Patsy O’Brien 9am Christmas Day
Jim and Patricia Hogan 11.30am Christmas Day
Boher
Mai Richardson Months Mind 10am next Sunday
Mary and Edward Butler and their daughter Mary 7pm Christmas Eve
Martin Moore and deceased members of
the Moore Family 10am Christmas Day
May They Rest in Peace
Eucharistic Ministers Next Weekend: Boher: Helen Hickey 10am. Laurence Bartley 7pm Christmas Eve. Elizabeth O’Connor 10am Christmas Day. Murroe: Breda Fitzpatrick 7pm. Mary O’Brien 9am. Breda Berkery 11.30am. Evelyn Lorigan 8.30pm Christmas Eve. Josie Meade 9am Christmas day. Margaret Holmes 11.30am Christmas Day
Christmas Carol Service in Murroe Church this Sunday 17th December at 7pm.
Christmas Ceremonies: Christmas Eve Masses: Boher 7 pm, Murroe 8.30pm.
Christmas Day Masses: Murroe 9am and 11.30am, Boher 10am.
Confessions: with Visiting Priests in Murroe & Boher after all Masses this weekend
Anniversary Mass for the Late Fr. James Holloway PP. Pallasgreen & Templebraden will be celebrated in Kilteely Parish Church Co. Limerick on Sunday 24th December (Christmas eve) at 8pm. Please keep Fr. James in your prayers
Senior Citizen’s New Year’s Party in Murroe Hall on Sunday 7th January. Mass at 1pm with Lunch at 2pm. Tickets €15 each. Church Gate Collection for the Senior Citizens Party will take place on weekend of 6/7 January.
Cashel & Emly Lourdes fundraising committee are hold a Tea Dance in Cappawhite Resource Centre on St. Stephens Night, Tuesday, 26th Dec. 2017. Music by: Brian McDermott. Dancing from 9.30pm – 12.30. Admission €10. Tickets available on the door or contact Sean O’Connor 086-8423172 for more info.
Glenstal Abbey Christmas Shop. Mon to Fri 9-5pm Sat & Sun 10 to 4.30pm. Come and visit our wide range of Christmas gifts. Nativity Sets, Christmas Decorations, Chocolates, Christmas Cards, Jams, Honeys, Mustards, Glenstal Christmas Puddings, Glenstal Cranberry Sauce. This year we are also running a stall filled with homemade Chocolate Orange Rocky Road Pudding. All Proceeds going to Milford Hospice.
COMMUNITY ALERT: Murroe Community Alert would like to thank the organisers of the recent Tractor Run held in Murroe for their kind donation towards the cost of the upkeep of the defibrillator which is in the porch of the Muintir na Tíre hall, Murroe. The defibrillator needed new batteries and pads. It is hoped to have demonstrations on how to use the defibrillator after Christmas.
Church Windows Fundraising: Jimmy Buckley will perform in concert in Murroe Church on Sunday 4th March 2018. Tickets cost €20 each and are currently available in Local shops, and Pubs in Boher. Treat yourself or a friend to a nice Christmas Present.
Annual St Stephen’s Day Fun Run/Walk Boher Annual Christmas 10k Fun Run/Walk will take place on St. Stephen’s Day from Boher Community Centre at 1 p.m. Proceeds are in aid of the Limerick Branch of the Irish Kidney Association. Refreshments will be served.
Boher Community Development Association has launched its 2018 Parish Calendar. It contains beautiful photos of times past and present of the people of Boher. It is on sale from all local businesses or any committee member. Cost €5.
Boher Community Development Association thanks everybody who supported their Christmas Market last Sunday. It was a great success. Artists, crafts people and culinary experts, displayed their work to a very large number of locals and visitors. A variety of high-standard local crafts were sold. Santa and Mrs Claus arrived by four white horses and carriage to everybody’s delight. Santa’s grotto had to be the best in the country!
Boher Community Development Association wishes everybody a very Happy Christmas and New Year. Sincere thanks for all your contributions to and support for our initiatives throughout the year.
Christmas Wreaths, Swags, Table pieces (Fresh Flowers) now available at Holmes Florist, Cappanuke. Contact 086 2493499 or 061 386318 to place an order.
Murroe-Boher Historical Society Calendar now on sale in local shops. Price €8. Ideal gift for family living away from home. 50% of profits will go to Charity.
Lotto Results 10/12/17 -22,24,29,31- No Jackpot Winner. €20 Lucky dips Lawrence Bartley, Daniel Ryan, Paulette Hodkinson & Mary Reale. Next week Jackpot 4,300 Draw in Powers
Christmas Special Afternoon Tea Dance, will take place in Kilteely Hall, Co. Limerick on Sunday 17th of December from 3pm – 6pm. Music by Catriona. Raffle, Prizes Galore, Homemade baking and refreshments served. Admission €5. All are Welcome to come dancing or just sit back, relax and enjoy the music
Thought for the Week – Social Connectedness
The U.S. Surgeon General is on a mission to deliver happiness, peace and love – in his position as Surgeon General he is emphasizing happiness as one of the ways to prevent disease and live a long healthy life.
He argues that happiness is a not an emotion or an inherited disposition but a perspective, something we can actively cultivate using four approaches; gratitude exercises, meditation, physical activity and social connectedness.
Research shows that these four approaches do increase a sense of peace and well-being. Part of these results may be due to the fact that we can do these exercises ourselves and don’t need any outside agency to help us achieve the goal.
Social connectedness may be the greatest challenge in our individualistic world. A lot of people no longer feel connected to their community. This is the time of year when we can may be work on this approach to happiness both for oneself and for the ‘other’.
Murroe/Boher Newsletter 10 Dec 2017
Parish Clergy: Fr Loughlin Brennan Fr. Tom Ryan
Tel. 386227 Mobile 087 9814051 Tel. 352223 Mobile 087 6291557
Anniversaries: Murroe
Josie and Owen O’Malley 7pm this Saturday
Jackie and Breda Keays and
Jimmy and Maureen Kirby and
Jack and Donagh Hanly 11.30am this Sunday
Willie Hartnett and Deceased members of the Hartnett Family and
Margaret (Peggy) Fitzgerald 7pm next Saturday
Willie Quigley and John Connell 9am next Sunday
Martin and Bridgine Carey and
Christine Coughlan (nee Carey) 11.30am next Sunday
May They Rest in Peace
Eucharistic Ministers Next Weekend: Boher: Pat Madigan 10am.
Murroe: Bridget Hayes 7pm. Michael O’Loughlin 9am. Breda White 11.30am
No adoration in Murroe Church next Friday.
Christmas Mass Bouquet’s available in Church Sacristy.
Christmas Carol Service in Murroe Church on Sunday 17th December at 7pm.
Christmas Ceremonies: Christmas Eve Masses: Boher 7 pm, Murroe 8.30pm.
Christmas Day Masses: Murroe 9am and 11.30am, Boher 10am.
Confessions: with Visiting Priests in Murroe & Boher after all Masses next weekend 16/17 December
Clergy Collection (Christmas) will take place next weekend 16/17 Dec. Envelopes are being distributed at present.
Murroe Post Office: The Post office will be open for normal business until 5pm on Saturday next 16th December, including full postal deliveries and collections.
Senior Citizen’s New Year’s Party in Murroe Hall on Sunday 7th January. Mass at 1pm with Lunch at 2pm. Tickets €15 each. Church Gate Collection for the Senior Citizens Party will take place on weekend of 6/7 January.
Boher’s Annual Walk and Fun Run will take place on St. Stephens day starting at the Community Centre at 1pm. Proceeds this year are going to the Irish Kidney Association (Limerick Branch)
Boher Christmas Market, this Sunday 10 December, at 2pm. Visit Santa in his new Grotto. Something for everyone. Come along and enjoy the occasion.
Sliabh Feilim Singers would like to thank everyone who supported them in their recent Christmas Concert held in Abington Church Murroe. We particularly would like to thank the Friends of Abington Church for making such a beautiful venue available to us and our guest performers for giving of their time. We raised €1248 for Milford Hospice.
Church Windows Fundraising: Jimmy Buckley will perform in concert in Murroe Church on Sunday 4th March 2018. Tickets cost €20 each and are currently available in Local shops. Treat yourself or a friend to a nice Christmas Present.
Murroe-Boher Historical Society’s December talk will be given by Sharon Slater at the Muintir na Tíre Hall, Murroe, on Thursday next, December 14 at 8.30 p.m. sharp. Sharon will be speaking about Limerick’s Clothing Factories. Limerick city has had significant ties to the clothing trade; at one time it was home to the largest army clothing factory in Ireland. This factory sent uniforms throughout the world, becoming a leading international manufacturer in the nineteenth century. This talk will tell the story of the rise and fall of Limerick’s clothing empire. Admission €5 to non-members (including refreshments). All welcome.
Social Dance in Millennium Centre Caherconlish on Saturday 16th December. Music by Dermot Lyons. Tea served. Admission €10
Maranatha Prayer Ministry invites you to our Christmas Healing Retreat on this Sunday, 10th December, at 2.30pm at St. Pauls Church, Dooradoyle, Limerick through the Ministry of Bishop Fintan, Killaloe Diocese and Sebastian Sales, Sehion UK. Tea after in hall. All welcome..
Christmas Wreaths, Swags, Table pieces (Fresh Flowers) now available at Holmes Florist, Cappanuke. Contact 086 2493499 or 061 386318 to place an order.
Murroe-Boher Historical Society Calendar now on sale in local shops. Price €8. Ideal gift for family living away from home. 50% of profits will go to Charity.
S.T.N Christmas Fair: Scoil na Tríonóide Naofa, Doon will hold a Christmas Fair on Sunday 17th December from 2pm-5pm in the school.
Lotto Results for 3/12/17 -8,10,14,15- No Jackpot Winner. €20 Lucky dips John Finucane, Herbie Power, Alan Ryan & Patsy Laffan
Sliabh Feilim Singers thank you Note
Sliabh Feilim Singers would like to thank everyone who supported them in their recent Christmas Concert held in Abington Church Murroe.
We particularly would like to thank the Friends of Abington Church for making such a beautiful venue available to us and our guest performers for giving of their time.
We raised €1248 for Milford Hospice.
Murroe/Boher Newsletter 3rd Dec 2017
Parish Clergy: Fr Loughlin Brennan Fr. Tom Ryan
Tel. 386227 Mobile 087 9814051 Tel. 352223 Mobile 087 6291557
Recent Deaths: Michael Ryan (Poet), formerly Brittas who died in England
Anniversaries: Murroe
Margaret Carey 7pm this Saturday
Josie and Owen O’Malley 7pm next Saturday
Jackie and Breda Keays and
Jimmy and Maureen Kirby and
Jack and Donagh Hanly 11.30am next Sunday
Boher
Michael & Margaret Collopy and deceased members of the Mullane Family and
Jim O’Gorman 10am this Sunday
May They Rest in Peace
Eucharistic Ministers Next Weekend: Boher: Esther Reilly 10am.
Murroe: Elizabeth Power-Lynch 7pm. Suzanne Barron 9am. Breda Byrnes 11.30am
Feast of the Immaculate Conception next Friday. No morning Mass in Murroe on Thursday, Vigil Mass Thursday evening at 7pm. Masses on Friday, Boher 10am, Murroe 9am and 11.30am
Adoration in Murroe next Friday following 11.30am Mass.
Do This in Memory next Sunday 10th Dec, Boher 10am, Murroe 11.30am
Senior Citizen’s New Years Party in Murroe Hall on Sunday 7th January. Mass at 1pm with Lunch at 2pm. Tickets €15 each. Church Gate Collection for the Senior Citizens Party will take place on weekend of 6/7 January.
Sliabh Feilim Singers annual Christmas Concert will be held in Abington Church at 5pm this Sunday 3rd December. We have many special guests joining with us to celebrate the season of Christmas and look forward to seeing you there. This year, proceeds will go to Milford Hospice. Admission €10.
St Vincent DePaul Local conference would like to thank all who supported us at last weekend’s Church Gate Collection. The amount raised was €1575. This money will help to provide fuel for families in need over the winter months. Thanks again for your huge generosity
Spiritual Guidance offers an opportunity to deepen our relationships with others, ourselves, and with God. Meeting in confidence with a Guide can help explore the obstacles in life that inhibit these relationships, so that individuals can make better, more informed choices. For further details, without obligation, contact Dolores McBurnie on 089 4409000.
Hair by Moll – Freelance Hair Stylist available Mon – Sat. Contact 089 2452713
Boher Christmas Market, Sunday 10 December, at 2pm. Calling all craftspeople, artists, bakers, (young and not so young), and culinary experts. Book a stall at Boher Community Centre by contacting Paudie Laffan 086 0785836 and show off/sell some of your creative delights. There will be a small charge of €5 per stall. Santa and Mrs Claus will also visit the Community Centre and children can call to see them in their new grotto. Great afternoon promised!
Boher Community Development Association will launch its 2018 Parish Calendar this Sunday night, 3 December, at 8pm, at O’Neill’s Bar. The calendar includes a delightful selection of old and recent photographs reflecting the lives and achievements of the people of Boher and places of interest. The back of the calendar features some Boher-related snippets from old newspapers and journals. Cost €5. All welcome to attend.
Murroe-Boher Historical Society’s December talk will be given by Sharon Slater at the Muintir na Tíre Hall, Murroe, on Thursday, December 14 at 8.30 p.m. sharp. Sharon will be speaking about Limerick’s Clothing Factories. Limerick city has had significant ties to the clothing trade; at one time it was home to the largest army clothing factory in Ireland. This factory sent uniforms throughout the world, becoming a leading international manufacturer in the nineteenth century. This talk will tell the story of the rise and fall of Limerick’s clothing empire. Admission €5 to non-members (including refreshments). All welcome.
Murroe Boher Camogie Club: Next weekend we will be holding our church gate collection before all masses in Murroe and Boher. All support would be greatly appreciated.ge Boher
Murroe Boher Bord na nÓg wish to advise that our AGM is to take place on Monday Evening December 04th at 20.30 in the Club pavilion, all are asked to attend. Murroe Boher Bord na nOg, wish to advise that our annual bag pack will take on Friday 08th and Saturday 09th of December in Dunnes Stores on Childers road. This is a vital fundraiser for the Club, and you support in this is greatly appreciated.
Murroe-Boher Community Games: Last Saturday, the 25th November the U13girls participated in the Community Games Futsal competition. They came in 3rd place overall. The girls got off to a great start winning 4 – 0 to Kilteely/Dromkeen/Pallasgreen. Unfortunately, they lost 4 – 0 to Bruff/ Grange/ Meanus and were unlucky to lose the last match 3 – 2 to Caherdavin. The scorers on the day were Laura Flynn and Gemma Ryan. Well done to all the girls – Amber O’ Brien, Sinead Cusack, Isabelle Walsh, Rebecca Ryan, Laura Flynn and Gemma Ryan. Missing on the day were Siobhan Cooke and Abi O’Mahony. Many thanks to the organisers, referees and the parents for coming along to support.
Bee Blogs – November 2017
A friend sent me a card the other day which read, “Somehow we will squeeze through these dark December days”. It described how I felt. I like Blaise Pascal’s idea that in difficult times, you should always keep something beautiful in your heart or I might add in your pocket. Beauty makes a difference.
The bees adjust their life style to each season of the year, why not us? With our technologically-adapted life style we are cut off from the natural world – and we imagine that the natural world plays no part in our lives. D.H. Lawrence in Lady Chatterley’s Lover describes this disconnection as a catastrophe:
“Oh what a catastrophe for man when he cut himself off
from his union with the sun and the earth.
This is what is the matter with us. We are bleeding at the roots,
because we are cut off from the earth and sun and stars and
love is grinning mockery, because, poor blossom,
we plucked it from its stem on the tree of Life and expected
it to keep on blooming in our civilised vase on the table”
In a book on, Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom, the author Acharya Shunya, explains how we are connected to the natural world and still need to adjust our life style to fit the time of the year. A ‘seasonally adjusted life style’ makes sense to me – eating the same foods all year, exercising in the same way throughout the year doesn’t make sense – Ayurveda recommends specific protocols for each season of the year. Some of these recommendations are in autumn, with darkness closing in and wind and rain increasing- it is easy for our inner world to become a little shaky so Ayurveda advises stabilising ones routine – especially routines of eating and sleeping and also recommends settling in our ideas and convictions. As winter settles in, a change of diet is helpful – eating hot, spiced and warming foods – soups, stews – also getting out into early morning light and engaging in creative activity. I know I have a lot to learn about this idea of managing myself round each season. Maybe I could learn more from the bees. The church too provides a change especially with the Gregorian chant for Advent and this lifts me over the lintel and into a different mood.
A NOTE ON MISTLETOE USE
Mistletoe, the partial parasite of apple, lime, popular, or hawthorn trees is evergreen, and grows into a large spherical mass on the host tree. It produces a root like structure which grows into the tree and sucks its nutrients from the tree. Its seeds, spread by birds, are covered with a sticky, viscous gel that attaches them to the bark of a tree. The Mistle Thrush gets it name because it loves Mistletoe seeds.
It flowers in early spring with male and female flowers on separate trees. Bees, among other insects do the pollinating and provide us with those shiny, waxy white berries at Christmas. After each kiss you remove one of the berries – once all the berries are gone that’s it – no more kissing!
ASTHMA CURE!
According to a new study streets with trees may help against asthma attacks. Researchers from Exeter University studied the impact of urban greenery on asthama. By comparing 26,000 urban neighbourhoods the researchers found a link between areas highly populated by trees and lower rates of emergency visits to hospital for asthma. The association as even stronger in highly polluted areas.
The study showed that an extra three hundred trees per square kilometre was associated with approximately 50 fewer emergency asthma cases per 100,000 residents over a 15 year period.
WATCH OUT FOR FUNGICIDES
We know how harmful insecticides are for bees – fungicides may also be causing harm. A study at Cornell University in the USA has found signs of a “surprising link” between fungicides and declining bumblebee numbers. This could be important for to us because of our damp climate we use lots of fungicides. Ireland has ninety eight species of wild bee, twenty one of which are bumblebees. According to the National Biodiversity Data Centre, 30% of Ireland’s bee species are threatened with extinction mainly due to habitat loss. It is suspected that fungicides could change the nectar composition of flowers or harm the micro-organisms that live in bees’ guts. Fungicides have also been found to react with insecticides and make these toxic to bees. More research is clearly required in the Irish setting to see how fungicides impact our native bees.
AMERICAN FOUL BROOD (AFB)
There is an interesting treatment for American Foul Brood coming from Australia. They use gamma radiation to sterilise equipment (same thing as used to sterilise medical equipment). It is popular as it does not use chemicals so there is no residue in treated parts and they can be used immediately. This is ideal for bee equipment where it can be difficult to ensure chemicals and other treatments reach every area. Gamma radiation penetrates every part of the equipment which means that any pathogens or insects are eliminated.
This eliminates AFB and equipment can be treated over and over again. This would be a welcome new treatment and a more effective control than just burning hives which I had to do many years ago!
CONCLUSION
I am not getting great reports on the usefulness of the Bee Meditation. Maybe I need to test it myself. But thank you for the feedback from the brave people who tried it!
There is little to be done in the Apiary at this time of year. If we get snow, do check that snow doesn’t block the entrance to the hives. Bees don’t hibernate and if the sun comes out and it warms up, they will be out and about, taking cleansing flights. They are very hygienic and save their waste until they get a chance to get outside their home!
Some people give some extra protection to their hives by adding a blanket under the roof. In my experience, good ventilation is more important. A blanket can get damp and ultimately trap cold, damp air in the roof space.
The best gift we can give bees at this time of the year is not to disturb them! But do go and ‘tell them, ‘yes it is Christmas – rejoice and be glad’. I hope someone whispers this to you too!
Thought for the week – Sol Invictus
No one needs reminding of how busy our lives have become and especially how busy this period leading up to Christmas is even in a monastery – so many things to do. There is always the danger that the ‘urgent supplants important’ at this time of year. Not only are we busier but life is faster and faster -our world is increasingly a world of speed and pressures which consume us and drain us, and make life a series of duties than a joyful mystery. It is easy to be submerged in this culture, be swept away in the rush and the bustle of this time of year. And advent has suffers more from this culture of light, speed and consumption than even Christmas itself – it gets lost amidst the welter of shopping and card sending, party going…and spiritual preparation is reduced to almost nothing.
I see Fr. Desmond Donnell, the Oblate priest is quoted in the Irish Independent suggesting “that we’ve lost Christmas just like we lost Easter and should abandon the word completely. Christmas no longer conjures feeling of spirituality for people. I’m all for Christians choosing to celebrate Christmas by going out for meals and enjoying a glass of wine but the commercialisation of anything is never good. I’m just trying to rescue the reality of Christmas for believers by giving up ‘Christmas’ and replacing it with another word.”
Maybe we should take his advice and let Christmas return to its former pagan roots and do something radical and new. It was only in the fourth century that Christians took over the pagan festival of ‘Sol Invictus’, the unconquerable sun, and injected its own meaning – using it to mark the birth of JC, the light of the world. If it is to become a Christian festival again then rejuvenating the season of Advent which we begin this week could be a good place to start.
MurroeBoherHistoricalSociety Annual Calendar 2018
MBHS calendar is for sale in local shops It’s €8 and features sporting acheivements by people from the parish both past and present. Part of the proceeds will go to charity.
Thought for the Week – How we dismantled the world.
In the light of the destruction of our world, the Reverend Colin Morris has suggested a rewrite of the book of Genesis for the 21st century. It would begin with Genesis in reverse – how we dismantled the world.
In the end, we systematically demolished our even though we had no where else to go. We plundered the earth and slaughtered our brothers and sisters of the animal kingdom. And that was the seventh day from the end.
We polluted the clear air, poisoned the sea and turned rivers into foaming torrents of chemical waste. And this was the 6th day from the end.
We stifled truth that wasn’t our truth and scoffed at the warnings of the prophets and were deaf to the ominous sounds of the earth in torment. Arrogance and self-righteousness drowned out wisdom and humility. And this was the 5th day from the end.
And we said the strong are entitled to most of what’s going and the weak can have the rest. But the more we had to lose, the more fearful we became and so we built bigger walls and larger armies to protect our self interest. And this was the 4th day from the end.
We slept uneasily and awoke afraid and set to work to create the ultimate weapon. Then we said, “Now we feel safe!” But our enemies did not feel safe so they created the ultimate weapon and whole world lived under the shadow of extinction and called it peace. And this was the third day from the end.
Then having proved that we could make anything, we said, now let us make God in our own image, let us gaze into a mirror and worship the one we see there. And this was the second day from the end.
And we were mesmerised by the products of our ingenuity and we cried, bigger, stronger, richer, louder, more! And we became frantic with desire for nothing could satisfy us. And this was the day before the end.
Then there was chaos and uproar and when the din subsided, human life had vanished. And the ravished earth rested on the 7th day. Then God broke the silence. ‘Back to the drawing board,’ he said sadly.